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Types of Lung Cancer
Small Cell Lung Cancer
is less common than non-small cell lung cancer. Small Cell Lung Cancer accounts
for fifteen percent of all diagnoses, and is most prevalent
among smokers. Small Cell Lung Cancer is also called oat cell
cancer, because malignant cells are oat-shaped. Small Cell
Lung Cancer is aggressive, and spreads quickly. In approximately
seventy percent of cases the cancer has spread to other organs
by the time the disease is diagnosis. Once metastasized, a
Small Cell Lung Cancer patient is not a candidate for surgery
but does respond to chemotherapy.
Limited Small Cell Lung Cancer
About one third of patients with SCLC have limited disease
at initial diagnosis. This stage is highly responsive to
a combination of systemic chemotherapy and radiation. Substantial
shrinkage of tumor occurs in as many as 80% to 90% of patients
with this treatment. Complete clinical remission can be
achieved in 50% to 60% of all patients with this stage
of disease. Recent trials of chemotherapy and radiation
show median survival times of 15 to 18 months, 2-year survival
rates of 30% to 40%, and 5-year survival rates of 10% to
15%.
Extensive Small Cell Lung Cancer
In the two thirds of patients with SCLC who have extensive
disease at initial diagnosis, the response rate to systemic
chemotherapy is 60% to 80%, median survival time is 9 to
10 months, and the 2-year survival rate is less than 10%.
Five-year survival with extensive disease is rarely reported.
Complete clinical remission is achieved in only 20% to
30%.
The chemotherapeutic agents given for extensive disease are
identical to those used for limited disease.
Notice
that the cells are almost only blue nucleus (DNA) material
making them "small" under the microscope.
Small cell lung cancer |
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